South Jersey/Philly things to do: Celebrate Valentine's Day, Black History Month and more

Willingboro celebrates Black History Month with art exhibit

Willingboro Recreation & Parks Department will present Black Artistry Annual Invitational 2022 “Unapologetic: Visual Art of the African Diaspora with No Apologies!,” as part of its Black History Month activities.

The exhibit features local, regional, national and international artists and works from private art collections.

An opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11 and the exhibit will continue through March 31 in the Kennedy Center Lobby at 429 John F. Kennedy Way in Willingboro.

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Admission is free and refreshments will be served during the reception.

For information, call (609) 877-2200 or visit https://willingboronj.myrec.com.

Celebrate your love on the Valentine’s Express

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

The Seashore Lines has you covered with its Valentine's Express.

You and your special guest can enjoy a comfortable and fun train ride to celebrate the holiday.

The trains will run from the Richland and Tuckahoe train stations on Feb. 11 and 12.

The 75-plus minute round trip will be just the right amount of time to enjoy a selection of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, desserts and refreshments! Guests may also bring their own beverages.

Live musicians, chocolate and flowers add to the fun at a memorable event!

Seating will be available, for ages 21 and older only, in first-class cars, the Braddock Inn, the New York Central 38 or the Vista Valley.

Coach seating is also available for passengers of all ages at regular coach fares, which does not include Valentine’s Express amenities.

For tickets or information, visit https://www.seashorelines.org/Passenger/Valentines.

Bellview Winery hosts Wine & Chocolate Weekend

Love is in the air at Bellview Winery. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your Valentine or Galentine during a Wine & Chocolate Weekend from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 12 and 13.

The winery will offer special chocolate flights, cheese and chocolate boards, and special wine cocktails.

The winery is at 150 Atlantic St., in Landisville.

For Bellview information, call (856) 697-7172 or visit bellviewwinery.com.

For details on Wine and Chocolate Weekend celebrations at other New Jersey wineries on Feb. 12, 13, 19 and 20, visit www.newjerseywines.com.

Get your tickets for concerts at the Landis Theater

The Landis Theater will host a variety of concerts including:

• The “Original” Moonlighters, 8 p.m. Feb. 11, tickets $20.

• The Exclusives, 8 p.m. Feb. 12, tickets $20.

• Songs in the Attic, the music of Billy Joel featuring David Clark, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, tickets $20.

• Sincerely Yours, 8 p.m. Feb. 25, tickets $20.

• Tributes +, 8 p.m. Feb. 26, tickets $20.

The theater is at 830 E. Landis Ave., in Vineland.

For tickets or information, call (856) 691-3600 or visit thelandistheater.com.

Check out the Perkins DeCafe House Concert Series

The Moorestown Perkins DeCafe House Concert Series at Perkins Center for the Arts is back for the 2021-2022 season. The next concert will feature Petal at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11.

Other concerts planned will feature the Brian Betz Trio with Behn Gillece on March 11 and Out of Service (Acoustic) on April 8.

Tickets are $25 and include coffee, tea and light fare.

The center is at 395 Kings Highway in Moorestown.

For information, call (856) 235-6488 or visit perkinsarts.org.

Music and more featured at the Levoy Theatre

A variety of events are planned at the Levoy Theatre.

The schedule includes:

• Superunknown, a tribute to the legacy of Chris Cornell, 8 p.m. Feb. 11, tickets $19 to $22.

• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” adapted for the stage by Simon Levy, presented by Gloucester County Institute of Technology drama students, 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 2 and 8 p.m. Feb. 19 and 3 p.m. Feb. 20, tickets $15 for adults and $12 for children.

• A Conversation with John Leguizamo, Feb. 25, canceled.

• Shadows of the 60s, a tribute to Motown, 8 p.m. Feb. 25, tickets $34 to $39.

• Hollywood Nights, a Bob Seger Experience, 8 p.m. Feb. 26, tickets $26 to $34.

The theater is at 130 N. High St., in Millville.

For tickets or information, call (856) 327-6400 or visit levoy.net.

Valentine’s Chocolate Walk planned in Bordentown

It’s time to get your Valentine’s Chocolate Walk Passport! The Downtown Bordentown Association will host a chocolate walk from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11, rain or shine.

Passport holders are invited to enjoy decadent chocolate delights from more than 20 participating businesses.

Passports are $5 and are expected to sell out.

For information, visit DowntownBordentownNJ on Facebook.

Check out The Pine Barrens Project

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University presents The Pine Barrens Project from 3 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12, featuring film and video that celebrate and reflect on the natural world, how it shapes our identities and our symbiotic, yet often destructive, relationship to it.

The project is curated by Philadelphia artist and filmmaker and Pew Arts & Heritage Fellow David Scott Kessler. Kessler’s feature-length film, “The Pine Barrens,” will be shown at 5 p.m. accompanied by a live score by The Ruins of Friendship Orchestra.

Influenced by the distinct ecology and history of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, the project explores cultural and creative relationships with the natural world with works by artists inspired by the region, including land art pioneer Nancy Holt, Nobel Prize-winning artist Maya Lin, and Philadelphia video installation artists and Guggenheim Foundation Fellows Matthew Suib and Nadia Hironaka.

At 1.1 million acres, the Pine Barrens, also known as the New Jersey Pinelands, represents the largest open space on the East Coast between Boston and Richmond, Va., and covers about 22 percent of the nation’s most densely populated state. Under the sandy soil lies 17 trillion gallons of pristine water in the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, which supplies drinking water to two million people.

Despite countless threats and continued abuses, this unlikely land of fire, folklore and endangered species has persisted, mainly due to the relationship between people and the natural world that remains strong in this region through agriculture, storytelling, recreation and advocacy.

The event begins at 3 p.m. in the museum's halls of dioramas with experimental film installations and a display of academy plant and animal specimens collected from the Pine Barrens. From 5 to 7 p.m., “The Pine Barrens” film will be shown with the live The Ruins of Friendship Orchestra. Then from 7 to 9 p.m., the film installations will again be available for viewing.

Tickets are $35. Space is limited. Masks and proof of vaccination are required.

For tickets or information, visit https://bit.ly/3IeXYph.

“The Pine Barrens” film will also be available online from Feb. 12 to 15. Tickets for the virtual screening are $10 and are available at https://watch.showandtell.film/watch/thepinebarrens_ans. Access to a virtual question and answer session with Kessler from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 15 is included for purchasers of in person and virtual tickets.

Burlington County Parks host new art exhibits

Visit the art galleries at Burlington County Parks to view the following exhibits:

• Jazlyne Sabree, through March 13, The Warden’s House Gallery, 150 High St., Mount Holly.

• Quinton Greene, through March 20, The Workers House Gallery, Historic Smithville Park, Eastampton.

• Sweet Cream of the Struggle, through May 1, The Annex Gallery, Historic Smithville Park, Eastampton.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For information, call (609) 265-5858 or visit www.facebook.com/BurlcoParksNJ.

Skate with your sweetheart at Winterfest

Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest will host a Valentine's Day Sweetheart Skate from 7 to 11 p.m. Feb. 14. Treat your sweetheart, friends or family to a fun Valentine’s Day event underneath twinkling lights.

Guests will enjoy ice skating, a rose, a keepsake photo and live DJ entertainment.

Tickets are $25.

Food, beverages, reservations for firepits, and cabin rentals are available for an additional cost.

Winterfest is at 101 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., in Philadelphia.

For tickets or information, call (215) 925-7465 or visit www.delawareriverwaterfront.com.

Enjoy a night of comedy and music in Pitman

Broadway Theatre of Pitman will present an evening of comedy and music with Joe Conklin and The City Rhythm Orchestra at 8 p.m. Feb. 12.

In a salute to the Philadelphia sports teams and their fans, Conklin takes the audience on a nostalgic journey featuring all of his celebrity voice impressions, an eight-piece orchestra and a cast of singers including John Conklin, Casey Conklin, Tricia Gozzi, Debra Toscano and surprise guests!

The program is directed by Vince Valentine.

Tickets are $45. A portion of the ticket price will go to the late Big Daddy Graham’s charity.

The theater is at 43 S. Broadway in Pitman.

For tickets or information, call (856) 384-8381 or visit www.thebroadwaytheatre.org.

Downtown Haddonfield presents ‘Love, Haddonfield’

Downtown Haddonfield celebrates the most romantic time of year during its ‘Love, Haddonfield’ event Feb. 11, 12 and 14.

The Partnership for Haddonfield unveils a weekend full of romantic experiences that are sure to be heart-warming. From shopping and dining, to horse-drawn carriage rides, to public vow renewals, Downtown Haddonfield will serve as the perfect backdrop for romance this Valentine’s Day weekend.

Couples Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

PfH will present romantic Couples Carriage Rides through Downtown Haddonfield. The Cream Victorian horse-drawn surrey, provided by Uptown Pleasure Tours, seats up to four riders and will pick up in front of 146 Kings Highway East from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 11 and 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 12. Reservations and bringing a blanket are recommended. Cost is $5 per passenger. Reservations are available on www.eventbrite.com.

Open-Heart Statue Vow Renewals

Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust will sponsor vow renewals in King’s Court at ‘Open Heart’ statue, in the heart of Downtown Haddonfield. For couples seeking to marry or renew their vows, officiants will be masked and socially distanced to perform 10-minute ceremonies from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 14. Enjoy romantic pink lighting, red roses, chocolates, cookies and other treats. Outdoor heaters are available. Space is limited. Reserve online at www.HaddonfieldSculpture.org.

Sweetheart Shopping

Say ‘I love you’ with a stylish new sweater or accessory, or perhaps a signature piece of jewelry. Merchants along Kings Highway, Mechanic Street, Ellis Street, Tanner Street, Haddon Avenue and Kings Court will have special Valentine’s Day offerings.

Romantic Specialty Dishes & Desserts

Whether you’re choosing to stay in or dine out, Haddonfield’s food and beverage establishments will be preparing dishes and beverages with love for you and your Valentine, from Italian, French, Mediterranean, Thai, Japanese or Continental fare. Reservations are encouraged.

Sweet Treats and Flowers

Grab handmade, homemade, and custom-made sweet treat for your sweet from one of the many bakeries, candy stores and cafes or select flowers from one of the floral shops. Plus, for your beloved four-legged friends, the pet shops will offer unique Valentine’s gifts.

For information, visit DowntownHaddonfield.com.

Take a chocolate walk in Mullica Hill

The fifth annual Mullica Hill Chocolate Walk will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12.

Enjoy a sweet Valentine themed night out with the special people in your life, while sampling delicious treats in each participating Mullica Hill business.

During this walk, the shops will feature a free tasting of a treat ranging from chocolates to hor d’oeuvres to beverages.

Check in is at Madame Chili Pepper’s children's boutique at 21 S. Main St., where you will receive a Chocolate Walk Passport identifying the treat stops. Once you have visited each shop on the passport, fill out the back with your information to be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a Mullica Hill Business Association Gift Basket.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15, cash only, on the day of the event.

For tickets or information, visit https://bit.ly/34BxgIS.

Russian Ballet presents ‘Swan Lake’ in Sewell

The Russian Ballet will present a new production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Investors Bank Performing Arts Center.

In Swan Lake, one of Tchaikovsky’s most ravishing scores is paired with an enchanted love story inspired by Russian and German folk tales.

On his 21st birthday, Prince Siegfried is told he must marry from an array of princesses selected for him. Upset that he is not being allowed to marry for love, Siegfried escapes into the night where he spies and becomes smitten with the beautiful swan princess Odette. Will the two be able to break the curse that has made her a swan or will the conniving sorcerer Rothbart thwart their plans to be together forever?

Tickets are $39 to $89.

The center is at 519 Hurffville-Cross Keys Road in Sewell.

For venue and health updates, visit https://www.wtps.org/Page/15570.

For tickets, visit www.russianballettheatre.com/tickets.

Merchantville hosts S’more to Love

The Borough of Merchantville will host S’more to Love from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 12.

Visitors will enjoy an evening in the heart of downtown Merchantville complete with tasty treats, shopping, movies and more.

Shop the downtown for last minute Valentine’s Day gifts, enjoy a free S’more by the fire, get creative with a Valentine's Day craft and watch Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp.”

The event will be held Chestnut Avenue and Centre Street.

For information, visit merchantvillenj.org.

Celebrate Black History Month at the Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute will host a Day of Celebration and Discussion for Black History Month from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 12.

Local organizations will join the institute to share their stories and missions to create a more equitable and diverse city.

The event will feature:

Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble performances in the Atrium on the second floor at 1 and 2:30 p.m. The ensemble is a Philadelphia based, internationally renowned performing arts company, which has preserved and perpetuated the cultural traditions of West Africa and the African Diaspora, including Afro-Cuban arts and contemporary hip-hop.

Urban Creators and FarmerJawn Philly, noon to 4 p.m., in The Giant Heart Exhibit, features an exploration of food growing and environmental justice work.

Christa Barfield and FarmerJawn Philly: Christa Barfield is a healthcare professional turned farmer and lifelong Philadelphia resident, who, after a solo trip to Martinique, returned home with a vision of farming being integrated into the lifestyles of urban people, especially those in marginalized communities whose ancestry, as it relates to farming, has a grim history. FarmerJawn sheds new light on how urban agriculture can affect change on the regenerative healing our earth and people need.

Urban Creators at Life Do Grow Farm: The Urban Creators is a platform for radical and collaborative imagination. Since 2010 it has used food, art and education as tools to nurture resilience and self-determination in its neighborhood.

Tickets are $23 for ages 12 and older, $21 for ages 65 and older and enlisted military personnel, and $19 for ages 3 to 11.

The institute is at 222 N. 20th St., in Philadelphia.

For information, call (215) 448-1200 or visit fi.edu.

Black History mural tours offered in Fairhill

Free Black History Mural Tours will be offered in the Fairhill neighborhood at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Feb. 12.

Carolyn Singleton, a history educator, will share the stories, struggles and triumphs depicted in the six wall murals around the burial ground.

Learn about major events, connections to today, contributions to the fight for an equitable future and the people that called Fairhill/Philadelphia home.

Tours start at 2901 Germantown Ave., in Philadelphia.

For reservations or information, email info@historicfairhill.com.

Sweetest Night planned in Pitman

The Uptown Pitman Business Community will host Sweetest Night from 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 12.

Enjoy dinner at a favorite Pitman restaurant, then stroll through your favorite shops to enjoy a variety of sweet treats prepared by various local chocolate and dessert makers.

For information, visit uptownpitman.com/sweetest-night-in-pitman.

Adventure Aquarium celebrates its 30th birthday

Adventure Aquarium will celebrate its 30th birthday with under the sea fun offering guests free admission on their birthday, hosting 30 early open member events and raising $30K to support conservation efforts.

Guests are invited to visit the aquarium for free on their birthday. Just show proof of age at the box office. Accompanying guests are encouraged to make advanced reservations online.

Aquarium members will have an extra benefit as the aquarium will offer 30 early open days for members to arrive early and be the first to see the animals on exhibit without general admission guests or group tours. Members should check the aquarium’s website for dates.

Also, as part of its 30th birthday celebration, the aquarium is launching Adventure Aquarium ACTS, an initiative to support conservation efforts. To kick off this program, the aquarium plans to raise $30,000 in 2022 to support threatened and endangered species.

The aquarium will also host events throughout the year to celebrate favorite animals such as sharks, hippos, penguins and sea turtles!

The aquarium is at 1 Riverside Drive in Camden.

For tickets or information, call (844) 474-3474 or visit www.adventureaquarium.com.

What’s it like in Hadestown?

“Hadestown” is an invitation to see how the world could be – the show pits doubt against faith, industry against nature, and fear against love.

This show is a celebration of our diverse humanity as talented actors, dancers, singers and musicians bring this haunting and hopeful story to life.

The show runs from Feb. 9 to 20 at the Academy of Music at 240 S. Broad St., in Philadelphia.

Tickets start at $20.

For tickets or information, call (215) 893-1999 or visit www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.

Boardwalk Hall hosts Comedian Katt Williams

Katt Williams will bring his World War III Tour to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall at 8 p.m. Feb. 12.

Tickets start at $59.

For tickets or information, call (609) 348-7512 or visit www.boardwalkhall.com.

Fall ‘Head Over Heels’ at the Grand Theatre

The Road Company will present the musical, “Head Over Heels,” through Feb. 12 at the Grand Theatre.

This new musical is set to the music of the iconic 1980s all-female rock band, The Go-Go’s, including “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Mad About You!”

Follow the escapades of an eccentric royal family on an outrageous mission to save their kingdom from extinction. However, when they learn that the key to the realm’s survival lies within each of their own hearts, they must look within and discover that “Love is Love.”

Also, in the Grand Galleria, the exhibit, “Show Us Your Beat,” will be on display through March 4.

The exhibit features photography by Joe Bruno, works on wood by Jack Brycki, painting and sculpture by Michael Ford, folk art by Quinton Greene and paintings by Paula Raraha.

Tickets are $20 to $30.

The theater is at 405 S. Main St., in Williamstown.

For tickets or information, call (856) 728-2120 or visit www.roadcompany.com.

Flashback Fridays continue at The Wave

The Wave at Golden Nugget will feature Flashback Fridays hosted by Michael James.

Doors will open at 7 p.m. Bands will take the stage at 9 p.m.

The schedule includes:

• Lounge Fly, Stone Temple Pilot tribute band, Feb. 11.

• Trilogy Tribute, Jagger, Morrison and Joplin tribute bands, Feb. 18.

• Hello I Must Be Going, a Phil Collins tribute band, Feb. 25.

Admission is free.

Golden Nugget is at 600 Huron Ave., in Atlantic City.

For information, call (609) 441-2000 or visit www.goldennugget.com/atlantic-city/entertainment/upcoming-events/flashback-fridays.

Sons of Mystro will perform Pop, Reggae Classics at Stockton PAC

GALLOWAY – Sons of Mystro, a musical duo who play more than 10 different genres of popular music using violin instead of voice, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Stockton`s Performing Arts Center.

The Sons of Mystro are brothers, Malcolm, 23, and Umoja, 20, who were born in South Florida to a Jamaican father and Barbadian mother. They honed their skills in the Broward County public school system in Florida and the Dillard Performing Arts and Broward College.

They were inspired by the groundbreaking group Black Violin. After seeing Black Violin perform and meeting them backstage, they practiced and formed the duo. They use violins to interpret reggae classics, American pop songs and their own creations accompanied by a DJ and a drummer.

Tickets are $32 with discounts available for seniors, children and groups.

The center is on the campus of Stockton University at 101 Vera King Farris Drive.

For tickets or information, call (609) 652-9000 or visit www.stockton.edu/pac. Tickets also are available at the box office from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 90 minutes before showtime.

VisitSouthJersey.com contributed to this report. Send event information and community news items to lvoit@gannett.com. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription to The Daily Journal/ Courier Post/ Burlington County Times.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey/Philly things to do: Celebrate Valentine's Day